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[30.10] Meridional Transport in the Stratosphere of Jupiter

M. C. Liang, R. L. Shia, A. Y.-T. Last name, M. Allen (Caltech), A. J. Friedson (JPL), Y. L. Yung (Caltech)

The Cassini measurements of C₂H₂ and C₂H₆ at ~5 mbar provide a constraint on the meridional transport in the stratosphere of Jupiter. We performed a two-dimensional photochemical calculation coupled with vertical and meridional transports. The modeled profile of C₂H₂ at latitudes less than 70 deg follows the latitude dependence of the solar insolation, while that of C₂H₆ shows little latitude dependence, consistent with the measurements. In general, our model study suggests that the meridional transport time above 5 mbar is \gg10-100 years and the time could be as short as 10 years below 10 mbar. In the auroral regions (>70 deg), the observed ratio of the line intensities of C₂H₂/C₂H₆ suggests that these regions are dynamically isolated from non-auroral regions. Coupled with an aurora-photochemical model, the auroral temperature at ~5 mbar as high as that in low latitudes is inferred. This then implies that the hydrocarbons are enhanced in the auroral regions.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.